LEVELS OF LINGUISTIC

COMPETENCE

According to the CEF

COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF LANGUAGES

• A pile of descriptive elements.

• The four skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing in
integration.
• Description of linguistic competences and skills; practical
issues.
• Upward presentation – from absolute beginners to proficient
users; encouragement for improvement.
• Universal traits of the descriptive mechanism; applicable to all
languages.
• Details in the descriptive mechanism.
 GLOBAL SCALE

 C PROFICIENT USER

 B INDEPENDENT USER

 A BASIC USER

 ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
 GLOBAL SCALE – LEVEL A

A2 Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most
immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a
simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can
describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and
matters in areas of immediate need.

A1 Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases
aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and
others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she
lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way
provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
 GLOBAL SCALE – LEVEL B

B2 Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical

discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes

regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear,

detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and

disadvantages of various options.

B1 Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work,

school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the

language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.

Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations

for opinions and plans.

 GLOBAL SCALE – LEVEL C
C2 Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise
information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and
accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very
fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex
situations.
C1 Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit
meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious
searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social,
academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text
on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and
cohesive devices.
 ASSESSMENT GRID - UNDERSTANDING
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
Listening I can recognise I can understand I can understand the I can understand extended I can understand I have no difficulty in
familiar words and phrases and the main points of clear speech and lectures and extended speech even understanding any kind of
very basic phrases highest frequency standard speech on follow even complex when it is not clearly spoken language, whether
concerning myself, vocabulary related to familiar matters lines of argument structured and when live or broadcast, even
my family and areas of most regularly encountered in provided the topic is relationships are only when delivered at fast
immediate concrete immediate personal work, school, leisure, reasonably familiar. I can implied and not signalled native speed, provided. I
surroundings when relevance (e.g. very etc. I can understand the understand most TV news explicitly. I can have some time to get
people speak basic personal and main point of many and current affairs understand television familiar with the accent.
slowly and clearly. family information, radio or TV programmes. I can programmes and films
shopping, local area, programmes on current understand the majority without too much effort.
employment). I can affairs or topics of of films in standard
catch the main point in personal or professional dialect.
short, clear, simple interest when the
messages and delivery is relatively
announcements. slow and clear.

Reading I can understand I can read very short, I can understand texts I can read articles and I can understand long I can read with ease
familiar names, simple texts. I can find that consist mainly of reports concerned with and complex factual and virtually all forms of the
words and very specific, predictable high frequency contemporary problems literary texts, written language,
simple sentences, information in simple everyday or job-related in which the writers adopt appreciating distinctions including abstract,
for example on everyday material language. I can particular attitudes or of style. I can understand structurally or
notices and posters such as understand the viewpoints. I can specialised articles and linguistically complex
or in catalogues. advertisements, description of events, understand contemporary longer technical texts such as manuals,
prospectuses, menus feelings and wishes in literary prose. instructions, even when specialised articles and
and timetables and I personal letters. they do not relate to my literary works.
can understand short field.
simple personal
letters.
 ASSESSMENT GRID - SPEAKING

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Spoken I can interact in a I can communicate in I can deal with most I can interact with a I can express myself I can take part effortlessly in
Inter- simple way simple and routine tasks situations likely to arise degree of fluency and fluently and any conversation or
action provided the other requiring a simple and whilst travelling in an area spontaneity that spontaneously without discussion and have a good
person is prepared direct exchange of where the language is makes regular much obvious searching familiarity with idiomatic
to repeat or information on familiar spoken. I can enter interaction with for expressions. I can expressions and
rephrase things at a topics and activities. I unprepared into native speakers quite use language flexibly colloquialisms. I can express
slower rate of can handle very short conversation on topics that possible. I can take and effectively for myself fluently and convey
speech and help me social exchanges, even are familiar, of personal an active part in social and professional finer shades of meaning
formulate what I'm though I can't usually interest or pertinent to discussion in familiar purposes. I can precisely. If I do have a
trying to say. I can understand enough to everyday life (e.g. family, contexts, accounting formulate ideas and problem I can backtrack and
ask and answer keep the conversation hobbies, work, travel and for and sustaining my opinions with precision restructure around the
simple questions in going myself. current events). views. and relate my difficulty so smoothly that
areas of immediate contribution skilfully to other people are hardly aware
need or on very those of other speakers. of it.
familiar topics.
Spoken I can use simple I can use a series of I can connect phrases in a I can present clear, I can present clear, I can present a clear,
Product phrases and phrases and sentences to simple way in order to detailed descriptions detailed descriptions of smoothly-flowing description
-ion sentences to describe in simple terms describe experiences and on a wide range of complex subjects or argument in a style
describe where I my family and other events, my dreams, hopes subjects related to integrating sub-themes, appropriate to the context and
live and people I people, living conditions, and ambitions. I can briefly my field of interest. I developing particular with an effective logical
know. my educational give reasons and can explain a points and rounding off structure which helps the
background and my explanations for opinions viewpoint on a with an appropriate recipient to notice and
present or most recent and plans. I can narrate a topical issue giving conclusion. remember significant points.
job. story or relate the plot of a the advantages and
book or film and describe disadvantages of
my reactions. various options.
 ASSESSMENT GRID - WRITIING

 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Writing I can write a I can write I can write I can write clear, I can express I can write clear,
short, simple short, simple simple detailed text on a myself in clear, smoothly-flowing
postcard, for notes and connected text wide range of well-structured text in an
example messages on topics which subjects related to text, expressing appropriate style. I
sending relating to are familiar or of my interests. I can points of view at can write complex
holiday matters in personal interest. write an essay or some length. I letters, reports or
greetings. I areas of I can write report, passing on can write about articles which
can fill in immediate personal letters information or complex subjects present a case with
forms with needs. I can describing giving reasons in in a letter, an an effective logical
personal write a very experiences and support of or essay or a report, structure which
details, for simple impressions. against a underlining what helps the recipient
example personal letter, particular point of I consider to be to notice and
entering my for example view. I can write the salient issues. remember
name, thanking letters I can select style significant points.
nationality someone for highlighting the appropriate to the I can write
and address something. personal reader in mind. summaries and
on a hotel significance of reviews of
registration events and professional or
form. experiences. literary works.
 THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION !
Rumyana Ilieva
Department of English philology
Faculty of Philology